CBD and Hemp News In Washington: Hemp Research Gets a Boost

Hemp research is a critical tool for understanding the healing power the CBD could have on several ailments from panic disorder to epilepsy and muscle pain to stress relief. Which is why we here at CBD Seed Co were excited to hear that Washington State University is greatly expanding its hemp research program in 2020. While medicinal CBD research at the university is sure to benefit from this, one of the areas they are researching is which types of plants grow best in Washington State and how using these strains can reduce crop destruction. As a hemp seed company, we see great value in this. 

Washington State University Starts Hemp Field Trials

As early as 2014 WSU obtained hemp licenses from the Washington State Department of Agriculture. This coincided with the 2014 Farm Bill which allowed state-supervised hemp cultivation and research. But, since hemp remained a federally controlled substance and bogged down by regulation, in-depth research was hard to do and pursued passively at WSU. With the advent of the 2018 Farm Bill which loosened hemp restrictions even further, Washington State University delved deeper into research. Now in 2020 WSU has greatly scaled up its hemp research program. has joined the search for hemp varieties that can fulfill the hopes of growers and promises of advocates.

What Type of Hemp Research Will Happen in Washington

In fact, in the next five years, researchers expect to learn a lot about hemp’s chemistry. They will be specifically looking into which varieties will grow well in Washington. This access and interest in hemp genetics will ultimately prove to be a major boost for the already thriving hemp industry in the state of Washington. Furthermore, WSU will be laying down a roadmap for other university’s hemp research programs to follow in the future. Specifically, this could lower the amount of hemp destroyed because of high THC content–since this accounts for millions of dollars in lost product each year. The THC content in hemp cannot be over .03% and plants that test above this are patently destroyed. So, understanding which hemp varieties are prone to high THC due to which type of growing influences will be a boon to the hemp industry in general.  

It will be interesting to start getting the data stemming from the WSU hemp field trials as they unfold. We will, of course, update our blog as details emerge. In the meantime, at CBD Seed Co we are always available for questions about our CBD seed varieties and the hemp products we produce as well. Feel free to reach out to us with questions no matter what state you live in since we do business all across the US.